The Dutch ballet choreographer Hans van Manen died at the age of 93. He passed away, according to the National Opera, on Wednesday evening in his apartment in Amsterdam. The Netherlands’ foremost choreographer for more than six decades is regarded worldwide as one of the masters of modern ballet.
About 150 choreographies
Van Manen received numerous international awards, including the German Dance Prize. His ballets are known for their clear, unornamented form. He created around 150 choreographies that are still danced internationally to this day.
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Van Manen was himself also a dancer and, from 1961 to 1971, choreographer and artistic director of the Nederlands Dans Theater in The Hague. After that, he became head of the Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam. In 1988 he returned to the Dans Theater in The Hague. From 2005 until his death he served as chief choreographer at the National Ballet in Amsterdam.
The Royal House Mourns: “We Remember Him With Love”
King Willem-Alexander, his wife Queen Máxima and the Queen Mother Beatrix praise van Manen. The Netherlands has “lost one of its greatest artists,” according to a statement from the royal household. Princess Beatrix, the former queen, was a friend of van Manen.
“Playful, light, and clear, he let us experience the perfection in his virtuosic ballets,” the royal family said. “We remember him with love, admiration, and gratitude for him and we will miss him greatly.”
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Van Manen was always open about his homosexuality in liberal Netherlands; in interviews he said his sexual orientation was never a major issue for him and he never really had to come out, but lived openly and spoke about it. Hans van Manen had been with his husband Hank van Dijk for nearly half a century. The cameraman worked for four decades for the Dutch National Ballet and retired in 2018.
